Welcome to the Giving Thought Podcast, a bi-weekly exploration of trends in global philanthropy and civil society from the Charities Aid Foundation’s in-house think-tank, Giving Thought.
In each episode your host Rhodri Davies (formerly with co-host Adam Pickering) explores a big issue, theme or trend and analyses what it means for philanthropy and civil society around the world.
Be sure to check the show notes for each podcast and find blogs, reports and videos from Giving Thought and do get in touch if you have questions or suggestions at givingthought@cafonline.org.
Finally, please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your podcast provider of choice.
In episode 41 we chat to Vinay Nair, co-founder and CEO of
social good tech startup Lightful about how charities can use
technology to tell their stories more effectively, and some of the
key opportunities and challenges. Topics covere:
Why is storytelling important for charities?
Has social media changed the game for charities in terms of how
they communicate?
Have some of these tools levelled the playing field between big
and small (or well-known and obscure) organisations?
Is there sometimes a tension between focusing on individual
stories/emotions and focusing on objective metrics/measures of
success? Or can the two be successfully combined?
How well-equipped are charities to take advantage of the
potential of digital? If some organisations are struggling, what
are the key barriers?
Is there a danger that social media and online discourse create
perverse incentives to sensationalise or simplify issues, because
everyone is competing for scarce attention? Does this present a
particular challenge for charities?
Social media and other new communications technology is
enabling people to form communities of interest/purpose much more
easily than before. Can charities harness this potential, or is
there a threat that it will make them less relevant as people look
to networked models of social change?
Giving Tuesday
Harnessing data and machine learning
About the Podcast
This is the podcast from CAF’s think tank Giving Thought, where we look at big issues, themes and news stories that relate to philanthropy and the work of civil society.
Our host, Rhodri Davies, leads you through a wide range of fascinating topics, and also speaks to great guests who bring their own insight and expertise on civil society issues.